Loving Our Neighbors

Loving your neighbor as yourself is actually one of the most selfish things you can do. Our neighbors are anyone who is close to us, either emotionally or just geographically, and it would only make sense for our peace of mind, for our sanity, to work as hard as we can to cultivate relationships that tilt more towards love and friendship than towards hate and discord. Because if hate fills us with uncomfortable and unpleasant emotions, and if we hate our neighbor, and if we're in constant contact with our neighbor and can't easily avoid them, then we are signing up for a life filled with uncomfortable and unpleasant emotions. But if we recognize that love makes our lives richer and easier and more enjoyable, and if we recognize that our neighbors are people that we can't easily avoid and we're in constant contact with them, then it only makes sense for us to work as hard as we can to love our neighbor because then they will be a source of comfort and joy, rather than a source of discomfort and unpleasantness.